


Last Days

by aadk



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types, Legendary Star-Lord, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, End of the World, F/M, Last Day On Earth, Secret Wars (2015), Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 06:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aadk/pseuds/aadk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of everything, Peter Quill reflects on his Last Days on Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Days

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is narrated in the first person from Peter Quill's point-of-view. The events narrated took place in Avengers #42-#44 and Secret Wars (2015) #1.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For not being there with you. For not being your prince in shining armor. For not giving you the happy ending you deserved."

\---

It was a terrible day. The most terrible one in history. The last one in history. The universe was about to end. For years mankind had been predicting the end of the world. It was almost instinctive for living beings to predict their own destruction, blame would fall on gods, plagues, natural disasters, cosmic disasters...All of which might have happened or not at some point, but were prevented by courageous people. Heroes. The same ones who couldn't prevent jack today.

'Everything will die' they said. First time I heard them utter those words, I laughed. Almost choked laughing at it. Such dramatic use of words, and the overreacting... It was too much. People looked me funny, as if I was being inconsiderate and rude. I didn't care, I had been in plenty of 'Everything will die' scenarios in my life, even prevented some of them from happening. I was fearless, naive, brash, hell-bent on not letting one of those ridiculous doomsday predictions scare me. I wasn't even supposed to be on Earth at the time. I had a whole Empire to lead. A job with no vacation no matter how much I whined about it. This whole thing started with me and some of my friends flying casually in space, It was a holiday in Spartax and gladly I didn't had extra work to do. It had been a while since I had gone out with my friends, and since Gamora had come back out of nowhere (no pun intended), it was an opportunity I couldn't waste, particularly because she said she wouldn't stay long. Some events led us to Earth where we warned the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, about an incoming invasion of Shi'ar forces. It was a big problem alright, but I knew Earth was no joke either. They could handle it on their own, still we couldn't leave the planet because of the Shi'ar blockade that trapped us inside. There was no way out of Earth until the invasion was over. So I did what anyone would have done in my position.

Gave myself a vacation.

Had to call my fiancée Kitty Pryde. Had to tell her what happened. Had to ask her to take over for me a few days, enough time to allow me a safe trip back home ready to retake my boring job. She wasn't happy, but she understood. Couldn't tell her how much I wished she was here. Despite that, I was having some really good free days. Bough some music, went to the movies, visited my old NASA base at California, visited my future family-in-law at Westchester, went to Colorado to visit my mother, I guess I finally reconnected with Earth in more important ways than just protecting it from outside. In retrospective, I'm glad I did.

The day of the invasion came and, as I predicted, the Avengers took care of it. Felt like a time to celebrate. Until one day later, I saw the sky; and realized what a fool I was. The red clouds, the giant ships coming and the incredibly big planet moving towards us, menacing to destroy everything.

It was all happening. The world was ending in front of my eyes.

Even with all that, I didn't want to believe it, I was quite clung onto hope. Me and the Guardians flew back to New York and started helping in any way we could. The battle was dire and hard but in no way it felt any different than the million other times we had to fight invaders. Then it finally sank on me. What was happening, what was about to happen. It all became clear after I saw my friend Rocket's dead body.

I felt how my chest became heavier by the seconds. My brain went numb. Felt like I couldn't breathe or move, not even to help him. Never got to see what kind of wound he got, all I saw was his dead eyes as they closed slowly. Last thing he watched was me frozen on the spot. My mask hiding my horrified face. I wanted to scream, to remember this was supposed to be a joke. It certainly wasn't funny anymore. But as par with the course with me, I couldn't do anything as a light engulfed me as soon as Rocket closed his eyes for the last time. I thought one of our enemies had gotten me. Part of me was relieved. I was going to see Rocket again soon. I was going to tell him how sorry I was for not having been able to prevent his death. I was going to see Richie and tell him the same, just like I was going to say the same words to my mother. Men I had a lot of dead people I needed to apologize. Maybe even Kitty's father: 'I'm sorry sir for having perverted your daughter and then died on her like an idiot'.

But it wasn't meant to be. Not for me. Never for me.

The light instead teleported me to a ship. Not small but not really big either. There was some people working inside. Two persons specifically, Reed Richards and the Black Panther. I screamed at first, desperate to help my friends outside. I begged them to send me back, or to help me save my friends. I knew deep inside it was futile. Rocket's corpse made me understand the hard way, this was going to be the end. I tried to control myself. Came to my senses as I watched another person appearing. It was Spider-Man, his reaction was almost the same as mine. I knew at that moment what I had to do. If this was it, if this was the way all was going to end, I needed to speak with someone. One last time.

\---

"Peter!!!" That lovely voice screamed as soon as she appeared in the form of an holographic projection.

"Kitty darling, are you okay?" I responded, trying not to cry as I saw her beautiful body projected by my communicator.

"I'm fine, but the whole planet has gone crazy. Everything is being destroyed Peter. I don't know what to do."

"I'm afraid it's the same here on Earth honey."

"What?!!!"

"Everything is dying. I'm...I'm sorry." I said closing my eyes almost at the point of breaking.

"What's happening Peter?" I heard her say, but then I heard a loud noise coming from the hologram that pushed me to open my eyes quickly in fear.

"Kitty?" I asked, as I saw how the projection showed a mess of images alternating between destruction and people running as it moved. Hopefully while Kitty was holding it.

"Kitty are you okay?" I screamed worried, as I watched the hologram moving frantically until it stopped. I called her name once more with a whisper, not wanting to accept anything but her voice responding. Gladly that's what happened next.

"Peter..."

"Kitty!!! Are you alright? What happened?"

"I-I'm fine. This place is falling down."

"Listen Kitty, are you somewhere safe?" What a stupid question that was.

"I --I think so. I'm in some kind of bunker for important people on the outside of Spartax city, it's barely resisting though. I --I don't know how longer it will hold up. T-There's a lot of politics here, scared to death and very unreasonable. But I managed to bring Ma Savage and as many kids as I could as soon as the destruction started."

"Great, don't come out until all pass okay? Doesn't matter if you get trapped, you will phase out afterwards." I lied, tried to convince her we will have an afterwards. Maybe trying to convince myself as well.

"What about you Peter? Are you okay? Are the X-Men okay?" Peter could notice the extremely scared tone on her voice. Something that wasn't particularly normal on her.

"I...I..." I didn't know what to say. It was clear this was going to be the last time we would talk to each other. People were talking on the next room. Clearly there was some kind of plan if Reed Richards and the Black Panther were gathering us here. My mind completely forgot about all that as soon as I heard Kitty calling my name once more. After a few hesitations and some more 'Peter' coming from her mouth, I decided to be completely honest. She deserved that from me.

"Kitty...The truth...The truth is...That the world is ending."

Both hands covered her mouth in disbelief now. "Oy vey...It --It can't be."

"It's true Kitty. I --I needed to talk to you. One last time." I whispered, trying to hide all the sorrow and fear I was feeling inside.

"Peter no. It can't be. We're gonna get through this. We have survived worst--"

"Kitty listen, there's no hope anymore," I cut in, my voice raised a bit, not wanting to waste time trying to convince each other that everything would be fine anymore. It just made the pain inside all the more unbearable. "I'm afraid this is as far as we go. Your friends were trying to fight it. Just like my friends were. But we all failed."

Kitty was looking at me with disbelief. Her eyes open wide, her mouth opened as well. Hands pressed to her chest.

"Peter I--"

"Kitty..."

We tried to speak at the same time. But only silence followed, as words failed us to describe all the emotions inside. Our bodies reacted automatically trying to touch each other before being harshly reminded we were talking to a hologram. My pain increased the more I tried to reach her physical body only to keep failing. I felt the sorrow on my fiancée's eyes as she desperately tried to reach me as well. Then I heard more sounds coming from outside. Got up from my seat and left the room to see what was happening, not before reassuring Kitty I would come back in a few seconds. As I entered the other room where everyone was gathered, I saw one last person appear in front of us. Scott Summers, Kitty's old commander. I would have preferred Storm or Illyana. Still, I knew Kitty would be happy to hear he's still alive. Maybe he can talk with her before we all die. At that moment I felt a lot of rumble. Pretty sure Kitty was scared and worried that I left for what felt like a lifetime for me, I went back as fast as I could to the little room only to find her with tears on her eyes, the hand of one kid not visible on the hologram trying to cheer her up. Her expression changed completely to one of happiness after seeing me. Mine did too.

"Peter, don't you dare to leave me again, you dumbass." she sobbed, her words a mix of anger, sadness and joy that somehow cut me deep inside.

"I won't." I said as we tried to hug a hologram again.

"Listen, your friend Cyclops is here with me. I guess I somehow get to die with him."

"Not funny Peter." She said, almost unable to speak from the tears she had been shading.

"I know. There's no one I would rather die with but you." At those words, Kitty cried and sobbed more. I was holding back my tears as much as I could. I heard more rumbling noises and I knew the moment had come. Words failed me at that moment. All I could do is watch her beautiful eyes all red and swollen dropping tears, the only sound being those of her sniffs as she tried to cling onto me just like my hand tried to reach hers and went through it as a result.

\---

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For not being there with you. For not being your prince in shining armor. For not giving you the happy ending you deserved."

"Don't be stupid. You always were there for me, just like you are here now. Nothing makes me more happy, even when I'm sad it's all ending."

...

"Kitty...These last eight months...Were the best eight months of my life. Thank You."

"Thank you sweetie. Thank you for making me so happy. I --I'm sorry I never got to become Ms. Quill."

"You always were. In my heart you always were."

...

...

"I love you Peter."

...

One second passed. The hologram disappeared abruptly. Only static followed.

...

My screams about how much I loved her fell on deaf ears. Despite having all the desire...All the right...to burst into tears, I willed myself into not doing it and went outside to see what was happening. I saw two Earths colliding with one another. I was mesmerized by the sight. Not sure of what was really happening.

"Heavy goodbye?" I heard Carol Danvers speak. Her voice brought me back to reality.

"Carol. W --What's happening?"

"We are the last ones Peter. We survived."

It finally downed on me. The reason why I was teleported here. Why we all were being gathered in this exact place. As I moved my gaze forward one last time, both Earths engulfed in flames, I thought about all the things that were disappearing along with them: the food, the art, the ice cream shops, the green grass, the wild animals, the moon, the stars, the galaxies, the people, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Mantis, Angela, Jack, Illyana, Bug, Stark, Flash, Moondragon, Cosmo, Dad, Victoria, Ma, all the innocent people, all the kids...

...Kitty...

\---

As I saw the blank nothingness in front of me, Mr. Richards struggled to keep his family alive only to fail miserably, and I couldn't help but to empathize. To feel all my loss. Everything I built in life was gone. So many regrets in a life that won't end. Guilt of having maimed and killed, of having cared and disappointed, of having loved and failed. And, as we all floated in the vast nothingness inside the last vessel in existence watching Mr. Richards cry, silent tears finally appeared in my eyes and started falling uncontrollably. My mind playing the same words inside my head over and over again.

"I love you Peter."  
"I love you Peter."  
"I love you Peter."  
"I love you Peter."

 

"I love you Peter.....................

**Author's Note:**

> The story continues on the 'Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde' comics of the 2015 Secret Wars event.


End file.
